His creative contemporaries and successors remember legend Len Wein!

Imagine: It’s the summer of 1974. You’ve just read to the end of INCREDIBLE HULK #180—the newest issue—and a brand-new character nearly leaps out of the art at you with claws extended. You’re just not sure how you’ll be able to stand the wait until the next installment to see what’s up with this new mystery man, and then you turn to the book’s credit page and wonder how this Len Wein guy keeps coming up with all this cool stuff…

“The Wolverine” moved on past his throwdown with The Hulk and Wendigo to become one of the most popular comic book characters ever when he hooked up with a certain band of merry mutants a few months later in GIANT-SIZE X-MEN #1—also written by that Len Wein guy. Today, the long line of legacy from the writer through his creation to modern scribes and artists stands as a testament to the impact Wolverine’s made on the comics industry and its fans.

“In that seminal issue, Len established Wolverine’s blunt, pugnacious, take-no-prisoners voice as a character,” posits X-MEN: GOLD writer Marc Guggenheim. “Sure, Wolverine would become less verbose and chatty in future incarnations, but his blunt attitude was established in that first appearance in INCREDIBLE HULK.”

“It’s incredible how Len Wein, along with artist Herb Trimpe, shaped Wolverine perfectly from the very start,” says ULTIMATE WOLVERINE VS. HULK artist Leinil Francis Yu. “That [debut] is 40-years-old and it still reads like the Wolverine we have today, complete with the attitude and richness we all love about him.”

Mike Deodato, himself a veteran X-Men illustrator and current artist on OLD MAN LOGAN, agrees: “He is a rebel; he is rock n’ roll. He doesn’t care for anything or anybody, but at the same time he will give his life for them. He is savage, unpredictable, and that is what makes him so attractive.”

“It’s the physicality—short, hairy, like a gnarled old tree—and the indomitable spirit, I think,” ponders DEATH OF WOLVERINE writer Charles Soule when considering Wein’s mutant scrapper. “Wolverine never stops, no matter what gets thrown in his way. Because of his healing factor, it’s almost like he can’t stop. He’s very fun to write, but more importantly, very fun to read.”

Wolverine’s Canadian heritage made him something of a rarity at that time among super heroes, as well as his direct approach to problems in his path.

“In many ways, Wolverine was so unlike any character readers were really familiar with,” one-time WOLVERINE writer Cullen Bunn insists. “He was violent and vicious, but a hero, too. The mystery element was heavily ingrained in the character, which made him all the more interesting. He was working for the government, but beyond that, we didn’t know much about him. Maybe more than any character created before or since, he represented the potential for amazing stories ahead. Other creators capitalized on that potential, making Wolverine the household character he is today.”

“I think Wein created the ultimate outcast,” says Juann Cabal, the artist behind ALL-NEW WOLVERINE. “To me, Logan is the outcast among outcasts. To Wein’s credit, [he] gave him the appeal of being different, wild and mysterious without falling strictly into the antihero cliché. He might have his inner demons, but his moral compass is always pointing the right direction. In my opinion, this is what has made the character stay relevant all this time.”

Perhaps Cabal’s partner on ALL-NEW WOLVERINE, writer Tom Taylor, sums it up best when he notes that “there was something perfectly realized about that first appearance of Wolverine.”

“It was all there on the page. The attitude was there, the brash bravery. But Wolverine was also not infallible. He had a savagery, and wasn’t a perfect, untouchable hero. It was a character everyone wanted to see more of. And, clearly, the rest of the world did too. There have been so many great Wolverine stories. None would exist without Len.”

By summer of ’74, Wein’s comic career stood as relatively new, though he’d racked up a sizable number of scripts for a variety of titles. He’d taken over INCREDIBLE HULK only an issue before “the big one” but his introduction—along with artist Herb Trimpe and costume designer John Romita—of Wolverine to fight the jade giant forever cemented him into the firmament of comic book superstars.

He also, by all accounts, kept his feet firmly panted on solid ground.

“I got to meet Len a number of times in 2014 while I was writing the DEATH OF WOLVERINE story, as well as working on a long run featuring one of his other signature creations, Swamp Thing, over at DC,” says Soule. “I found him to be gracious and kind, and generous with his conversation and time. He dreamed up enormous swaths of the super hero landscape that will last for generations—a legacy most could only dream of.”

“First and foremost, Len’s creation of the ‘All-New, All-Different’ X-Men was seismic and industry-changing,” notes Guggenheim. “Without Len, there’s an excellent argument to be made that there wouldn’t be any X-Men today, and certainly not the X-Men that we’ve come to know, love, and cherish. I had the good fortune to meet Len a few years ago at San Diego Comic-Con and he truly couldn’t have been a nicer guy. He clearly loved comics, both the industry and the medium.”

“As a creator, I think the truly incredible thing you discover writing [his] characters is just how different they are, and how human,” offers Taylor. “They have flaws. They’re complex. They struggle. Len’s characters breathe.”

Bunn takes it one step further: “Len’s work was a huge influence on me. Like many of my absolute favorite creators, he wore his imagination on his sleeve, and he didn’t let anything hold him back from putting that on the page.

“Since I owe my whole career to Wolverine, Len and Herb’s creation means a ton to me,” says Yu. “We may be divided by a few decades, but I am proud to inherit and to continue to breathe life into Wolverine and the X-Men.”

“As a fan, Len created some of my absolute favorite heroes,” concludes Taylor. “Some of these characters are the reason I’m a comics fan.

“The world would have been a far less heroic place without Len Wein.”

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The Best Around: A Generations Sketchbook

Published Aug 15, 2017
By Tj Dietsch

Two Wolverines lock claws in a memorable match-up drawn by Ramon Rosanas!

Ever since DEATH OF WOLVERINE, readers have felt a Logan-sized hole in their lives. Other clawed individuals have stepped in to do some of the jobs other heroes won’t touch like Laura Kinney, who now holds the name Wolverine, and Old Man Logan, but what about the original? With the publication of GENERATIONS: WOLVERINE & ALL-NEW WOLVERINE this week by writer Tom Taylor and artist Ramon Rosanas, we’ll finally have a few answers.

We got in touch with Rosanas about reuniting the clone and her fallen mentor in an issue that celebrates the House of Ideas’ long history of legacy heroes.

Marvel.com: Ever since the “Death of Wolverine” story, people have been wondering when Logan would make his return to comics. How does it feel to be drawing this huge issue in his history?

Ramon Rosanas: Very proud! Wolverine is one of the most loved characters and to be part of his story makes me feel very happy.

Marvel.com: Laura’s gone through a good deal of changes since Logan died. What can you tell us about the emotional connection they will feel when reunited and how that comes across on the page?

Ramon Rosanas: It’s really magical. They are two strong characters. Finding them in an emotional union is a key moment in their personality. I love to draw emotions. I already did it with Deadpool and Ant-Man. I feel comfortable with these stories and this script has given me touching moments.

Marvel.com: Laura might be the All-New Wolverine, but Logan’s the classic model. How do they compare when leaping into battle in this issue?

Ramon Rosanas: They are two generations. Getting them together has been great. I love to see them in that kind of relationship formed between parents and children when you discover that your daughter surpasses you, that she has taken a few steps ahead of you but that you can still protect and teach her many things.

Marvel.com: What can you tell us about the kind of trouble Laura and Logan get up to in this issue and did it offer a lot of design opportunities for you?

Ramon Rosanas: I have enjoyed drawing ninjas and Japanese settings. I have experimented giving the scenes an aspect close to the Manga style; although that has also given me a few headaches in combining both styles of work. I have been allowed to draw Logan in his classic outfit, in civilian clothes, and in his usual T-shirt as the story progressed. And I did the same with Laura, leaving her with a T-shirt like Logan, as if he was “passing the baton.”

Marvel.com: How has it been working with Tom and the gang on this issue?

Ramon Rosanas: I have been part of a great team. I have been able to work with Mark Paniccia whom I love and admire. He was the first editor to open the doors for me in Marvel and to work with him is always really great.

Tom is a great writer. The script describes everything I need to know but at the same time Tom leaves me room to adapt it. He has done a magnificent job throughout the whole episode. I cannot wait to hear from the fans.

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Spider-Man: Locked Up

Published Aug 9, 2017
By Tj Dietsch

With Miles Morales held by Hydra, check out these other heroes who have spent time behind bars.

Not every hero in the Marvel Universe stays on the right side of the law. Sometimes they go one step too far—and other times, the law works actively against them. Take Miles Morales for instance: the SPIDER-MAN star fought against the vision Ulysses gave him back in CIVIL WAR II and surrendered himself to Hydra instead of killing Captain America.

Surely the former denizen of the Ultimate Universe will find his way out of the clink—but until then, he can take solace in the fact that a few of his fellow heroes have had their own stints under lock and key.

CAPTAIN AMERICA

Look at that, even the honorable Steve Rogers spent time in the pen! More than once, too! Most notably, Cap was locked up between his surrender in the last issue of CIVIL WAR and his apparent death in CAPTAIN AMERICA #25.

LUKE CAGE

Carl Lucas might have become a hero without heading to jail, but he probably wouldn’t be super strong and possess his signature impervious skin. Wrongfully accused in a drug bust and sentenced to the big house, the future Avenger agreed to participate in an experiment that gave him super abilities. After his transformation, he escaped from captivity and resumed life under the name we all know him by today.

PUNISHER

Over the years, many people have wanted to lock Frank Castle up—but no one seems capable of actually keeping him imprisoned. During the mid-‘90s, the authorities tried to send him to the electric chair—and failed. And during the most recent PUNISHER WAR ZONE, he sat in an underwater prison, but of course no walls—not even ones surrounded by water—could stop The Punisher.

DAREDEVIL

At the end of Brian Michael Bendis’ epic run on DAREDEVIL, he left ol’ Matt Murdock in quite a pickle—inside a jail cell where new series writer Ed Brubaker kept the blind lawyer incarcerated for a while. Murdock eventually got out when none other than master escape artist Frank Castle was purposefully captured as part of a jailbreak plan.

SONGBIRD

Since their inception, the Thunderbolts revolved around characters who served time in one way or another. The original squad, including Songbird, was assembled by Baron Zemo and consisted of villains masquerading as heroes. After her stint in jail, the former Screaming Mimi took to the lawful side of things—and even served as a warden on the maximum security prison known as the Raft!

IRON FIST

During CIVIL WAR, nearly every hero who sided against Tony Stark’s Superhuman Registration Act wound up incarcerated—including Iron Fist. While posing as Daredevil in an attempt to keep Hell’s Kitchen safe, Danny Rand was captured as a means to help Captain America and the other anti-registration heroes to the Negative Zone prison for a jailbreak!

WOLVERINE

Not at all unfamiliar with jail cells, Wolverine found himself imprisoned in the pages of LOGAN. Captured by the Japanese during World War II, the mutant was kept in Nagasaki before he escaped and fell in love with a local woman named Atsuko. When Atsuko was murdered, Logan followed her killer to Hiroshima, where they were caught in the atomic bombing of the city. Wolverine survived the blast, but was left scarred by the loss of his former love.

BUCKY BARNES

Even though he stepped up and filled in for Steve Rogers after the original Cap died, Bucky Barnes still stood trial for his crimes as his previous identity, the Winter Soldier. Declared innocent in the United States, Russia judged him differently—and locked him up on heightened charges. Thanks to help from someone familiar with Russian prisons—Black Widow—Bucky escaped and headed back to the U.S., where he then decided that his days holding the mantle of Captain America were over.

PETER PARKER

Miles Morales doesn’t lay claim as the only Spider-Man to wind up incarcerated—back in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #219, Peter Parker attempted to sneak into a jail as part of an exposé, but instead got caught and tossed in a cell! After Matt Murdock helped him get out of the predicament, Pete managed to publish his exposé—and apprehend a few escaped inmates in the process.

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Cable: Big in Japan

Published May 22, 2017
By JK Parkin

Look back at some classic adventures set in the Land of the Rising Sun!

CABLE #2—due out June 28—finds our hero traveling back in time to feudal Japan in pursuit of a mysterious adversary! Marvel heroes have a long history of traveling to Asia’s island nation, so take a look back at five other stories set in the land of the rising sun.

WOLVERINEWolverine stories could easily dominate any list of the best comics set in Japan, so let’s start with the “best there is”—the original WOLVERINE #1-4, by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller. One of Marvel’s first limited series redefined the character as he traveled to Japan to find his long-lost love, Mariko Yashida. Shingen, her crimelord father, forced her to marry one of his stooges, which did not set well with Logan. Miller and colorist Glynis Oliver provide ninja fights amidst the neon lights of Tokyo, making this not only the must-read Wolverine tale, but also one of the quintessential works within comics as a whole.

Fantastic Four/Iron Man: Big in Japan (2005) #1

FANTASTIC FOUR & IRON MANWhile action and drama typically drive Wolverine’s journeys to Japan, “fun” fueled this comic by Zeb Wells and the late Seth Fisher. The Fantastic Four head abroad for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Tokyo’s new Giant Monster Museum and Expo Center, when—you guessed it—giant monsters attack. Luckily Iron Man also had business in the area and joined the fray. Fisher created each monster as a dedicated work of art for an insanely delightful story that never lets up.

Big Hero 6 (2008) #1

BIG HERO SIXBefore jumping to the big screen, Hiro, Baymax and the rest of the team starred in two different series: one by Scott Lobdell and Gus Vasquez in 1998, and another by Chris Claremont and David Nakayama in 2008. When the Japanese government decides they need their own team of heroes, they recruit Silver Samurai, Honey Lemon, and the rest of the crew, who battle the likes of Everwraith and Yandroth.

5 Ronin (2010) #1

5 RONINThe 2011 series 5 RONIN recast Hulk, Wolverine, Deadpool, Punisher, and Psylocke as master-less samurai living in 17th century Japan. Featuring the work of Peter Milligan and a variety of artists, including covers by David Aja, each issue told the story of one of the five characters, whose destines became interlinked as they sought revenge against the dreaded Damiyo.

Punisher War Journal (1988) #8

THE PUNISHERBack in 1989, Carl Potts and Jim Lee introduced The Punisher to a group called the Shadowmasters, who graduated from PUNISHER WAR JOURNAL into their own series. This ancient clan of martial arts masters protected the province of Iga, and Punisher came into contact with one of them, Kathryn Yakamoto, who helped him infiltrate a ninja camp run by a shady American corporation. Later Frank Castle and Black Widow teamed up with them again against the Sunrise Society, a Japanese business used as a cover for a crime syndicate.

Travel to Japan once more with CABLE #2 by James Robinson and Carlos Pacheco!

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Old Man Logan: New Blood

Published May 8, 2017
By Tj Dietsch

Artist Mike Deodato pops his claws in an exclusive sketchbook!

With OLD MAN LOGAN #25, a new creative team will take over the exploits of the time-displaced Wolverine from a horrible future. Writer Ed Brisson and artist Mike Deodato take over with the June 14 issue and launch the title hero right into trouble!

Deodato’s no stranger to the world of sharp-clawed mutants, having drawn covers for OLD MAN LOGAN and also Wolvie’s son Daken in the pages of DARK AVENGERS, but he’s a longtime fan who’s excited to chronicle the elder Wolverine’s exploits. We talked with the artist about shifting from occasional cover craftsman to interior artist, working with Brisson, and channeling Logan’s years of experience and torment into a more grizzled version of the ol’ Canucklehead.

Marvel.com: You’ve done a few covers for OLD MAN LOGAN already; does that help get you ready for tackling the ongoing series or is it different muscles?

Mike Deodato: It does, but I think what helps the most is the love I feel for the character. He was the only character [on] Marvel’s roster I ever campaigned to draw. I remember bothering [Marvel Editor-in-Chief] Axel Alonso back in 2008 [until] he gave me a one-shot called WOLVERINE: ROAR, which [would have] led me to be the main artist on WOLVERINE: ORIGINS…until [writer Brian Michael] Bendis comes up with a book he created [especially] for me that I couldn’t refuse: DARK AVENGERS! I was happy and at the same time sad for leaving the book but then Axel promised I’d return to Wolvie someday. Nine years later, promise fulfilled. I am back!

Marvel.com: Wolverine’s one of the most well recognized characters around; how does the Old Man Logan version differentiate himself from his past self, aside from the obvious physical differences?

Mike Deodato: He is a way more experienced warrior and therefore, way more dangerous. He might have a bit slower reflexes, speed, and healing factor, but as with most of the great fighters, he developed a conscience about fighting that makes his timing almost flawless. On the other hand, he’s got much more anger inside because he has not only the scars from his past, but also from his future. His already tormented soul is now a purgatory nightmare.

Marvel.com: Old Man Logan has more of a look than a costume; will you be playing with that at all in the series?

Mike Deodato: You know Logan; his clothes will be shredded to rags most of the time. I’ll be lucky if I can draw them in one piece once in a while. Seriously, Logan is one of the few characters that looks interesting with or without a costume on.

Marvel.com: You and Ed are kicking off a new arc on this series. What new directions are you planning on going?

Mike Deodato: I see him back to his roots, a lonely hunter clawing his way out through his enemies. For me it is a good ol’ [Clint] Eastwood movie.

Marvel.com: Do you enjoy bouncing between the present and Old Man Logan’s future/past in the Wasteland?

Mike Deodato: Yes, I do! I love post-apocalyptic stories, and it is great to play with the environment [Old Man Logan co-creator Mark] Millar envisioned.

Marvel.com: How has it been working with Ed on the series so far?

Mike Deodato: He is the greatest! He knows how to work suspense so well it gives me the creeps just by reading the script. I truly hope we stay together for the long run.

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Daredevil: Identity Crisis

Published Apr 17, 2017
By JK Parkin

Meet Matt Murdock and five other heroes who tried to hide their IDs!

During Mark Waid and Chris Samnee’s epic run on DAREDEVIL, Matt Murdock let the world know his true identity. But somehow, that secret went back into the bottle before the start of the current series. Now, almost two years later, Charles Soule and Ron Garney have begun to reveal how exactly that happened.

Daredevil’s not the only Marvel stalwart who received a second chance at a secret identity. Some heroes, in fact, have gone to some pretty lengthy extremes to restore theirs. Here’s a look at a few of them…

Daredevil

The Man Without Fear’s latest efforts to restore his secret come after a number of attempts and accidents that left him exposed.

Way back in the original DAREDEVIL #24, Spider-Man, of all people, wrote a letter to Matt Murdock telling him he knew his secret—but he promised he wouldn’t tell anybody. Too late, Wallcrawler; Foggy Nelson and Karen Page read the letter. Matt covers up his secret by creating a fictional twin brother: Mike Murdock.

Eventually Mike “dies,” but DD’s identity woes don’t end there. In one instance a TV station broadcasts Matt’s secret, but Black Panther helps save it by dressing as Daredevil. Many others discovered his secret ID over the years, leading to a storyline where he continued to deny it while a tabloid tried to out him. That song and dance continued until our hero went public and told everyone—leading us to the current storyline.

Spider-Man

Spider-Man not only almost screwed up his buddy’s secret identity, he’s had plenty of close calls himself. The list of people who knew Spider-Man’s real name grew over the years, and then during the first Civil War event, Peter Parker took Tony Stark’s advice and revealed his true name and face to the world.

But only for a short time. The “One More Day” storyline saw Spidey sacrifice his marriage to Mary Jane to Mephisto in order to save Aunt May’s life. A few years later, a tale called “One Moment in Time” revealed how time “reset” itself after the couple made that call—and why Peter decided he needed his secret identity back. Kingpin came after several of our hero’s loved ones, so the Webslinger asked Doctor Strange to cast a spell to make everyone forget his secret. Working with Tony Stark and Reed Richards, the Sorcerer Supreme did the deed, with only Peter and MJ escaping its effect.

Captain America

In the late 1980s, John Walker temporarily replaced Steve Rogers as Captain America after the government tried to make Steve part of their political agenda. The new Cap’s tenure proved difficult, and eventually the powers-that-be decided to hand the suit and shield back to his predecessor. In the press conference announcing the return of the original, a member of the militant Watchdogs apparently assassinates Walker—but only “apparently.” The staged shooting allowed the former Cap to put his old life and mistakes behind him and return in a new identity: U.S. Agent.

Wolverine

During the Fall of the Mutants, the X-Men, including Wolverine, gave their lives on television to save the world from a being called The Adversary. The goddess Roma, however, took pity on the mutant heroes, resurrecting and giving them the opportunity to operate in secret. She even made them “invisible” to any sort of surveillance beyond regular eyesight.

While the X-Men moved to Australia and established a secret base, Wolverine had his own agenda—and storylines—going on in his solo title. Logan established a new identity, Patch, on the island of Madripoor, where he engaged in an underworld battle with the local crime lords. The eye patch kept his resurrection somehow “secret,” despite the iconic claws and hairdo.

Iron Man

Back in 1998, Captain America and Iron Man teamed up in the aptly titled IRON MAN/CAPTAIN AMERICA ‘98 ANNUAL. In the story, Tony Stark and Steve Rogers battled A.I.M. and M.O.D.O.K., and we learned in a flashback that the duo also took on Mentallo, who had created a way to control the minds of everyone on Earth. Iron Man not only took out the telepathic villain, but also used his technology to make everyone forget his secret identity. Years later, it wouldn’t matter, as Tony revealed his name and face to the entire world again anyway.

Thor

To teach his son humility, Odin stripped Thor of his memories as a god and sent him to Earth as Donald Blake, a mortal medical student with an injured leg. Eventually Blake discovered his true origin, and Thor spent time on Earth not only in his godly, heroic identity, but also as the good doctor. Eventually the Thunder God gave up his ability to turn into his human alter ego.

Years later, when Thor decided he wanted a life on Earth again, he didn’t ask Odin for another spell. Instead, he turned to Nick Fury, who created a new civilian identity for him: Sigurd Jarlson. Transforming into Jarlson didn’t require Thor striking his hammer on stone; it only needed civilian clothing and, of all things, a pair of glasses—who would use a pair of glasses to try and hide their true identity?

The saga of Matt Murdock’s secret identity continues in DAREDEVIL #19, on sale this week, and concludes in issue #20, available May 17, both from Charles Soule and Ron Garney!

All-New Wolverine: Clawed Couture

Laura’s all-new outfit means it’s time for a ferocious fashion show!

In ALL-NEW WOLVERINE #20 on May 10, Laura continues to show off her brand new outfit, as Tom Taylor and Leonard Kirk unspool the epic story “Immune.”

With this change in the former X-23’s look, we take a peek back at some classic costumes worn by both Laura and Logan, the original Wolverine, over the course of their careers.

Classic Yellow

Nothing says “Wolverine” like a classic yellow-and-blue outfit, and lately Laura has honored her late father and mentor by wearing a costume similar to the one he sported for a good portion of his career. The original Wolverine debuted in the pages of INCREDIBLE HULK in 1974 with a canary-colored costume that sported shorter ears and whiskers. Over the years it would evolve based on the situation or the artist’s interpretation, from Gil Kane’s rendition on the cover of GIANT-SIZE X-MEN #1 to Jim Lee’s reintroduction of the suit in 1992 to “nose-less Wolverine” circa 1996 to John Cassaday’s ASTONISHING X-MEN run.

Brown and Tan

In UNCANNY X-MEN #139, John Byrne introduced a new version of Wolverine’s costume. While it retained the basic design from the mask down to the boots, Byrne opted for a different color scheme, and the yellow and blue became brown and tan. When Laura joined the ALL-NEW X-MEN series, she sported a costume that was a similar design to her teammates, but featured brown and tan accents. Perhaps that served as a small tip of the claw to Byrne’s design.

Fang!

In 1977, Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum introduced Fang, a member of the Imperial Guard who had a feral black-and-tan costume lined with small teeth and skulls. During a battle with the Shi’Ar, Wolverine took down Fang, then stole his costume to help him sneak up on the rest of their adversaries. While short-lived, the costume became iconic enough that Laura, as X-23, once wore it as well.

Basic Black

When she debuted, X-23 wore a “basic black” outfit, and the color became a staple of her wardrobe over the years. A black two-piece, in fact, became arguably her most iconic outfit. No stranger to black himself, Logan wore a pitch-colored suit back when his solo ongoing series debuted in 1988, as a member of Team X, and then in 2001 when artist Frank Quitely outfitted all the X-Men in leather gear.

The original X-Men started their careers in the traditional yellow-and-black outfits that became a staple of Professor X’s school. Like many other mutants who roamed those halls, both Logan and Laura have worn a version of that costume during their careers. The original Wolverine wore it most notably in the early 1990s, as drawn by Jim Lee, while his clone sported a version in NEW X-MEN with her own flair: gigantic gauntlets and armored boots!

Old Man Look

Several times we’ve seen Logan in his “old man” look—starting with the iconic “Days of Future Past” storyline, where older versions of the X-Men fought a losing battle against the Sentinels. The jacket-wearing hero met his end while facing down the robotic enemy.

In OLD MAN LOGAN, our aged hero once again faces a different set of impossible odds, and his grizzled look matches the landscape of the broken Marvel Universe he originally came from. While the former X-23 has yet to appear in her elderly form, no doubt an inevitable “Old Lady Laura” story will one day reveal what she might look like in the far future. Maybe it’ll include a brown jacket.

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Saying Goodbye to Old Man Logan

Published Jan 19, 2017
By Sarah Cooke

Jeff Lemire gears up for his final arc with the one-time Wolverine!

Writer Jeff Lemire has put the once—and future?—Wolverine through his paces in OLD MAN LOGAN issue-after-issue, and crafted quite an adventure in the process. As Lemire approaches his final arc on the book, “Past Lives,” which will see the title characters thrown through time to confront pivotal moments in Wolverine history, we spoke with the scribe to learn what new challenges await Old Man Logan.

Marvel.com: Logan has always sort of had trouble getting comfortable with who he is. He can really get down on himself at times, and we’ve seen him struggle with that. Will this arc challenge that? It seems like it has the potential either to lead him to backslide, or to finally let some of the self-judgment go.

Jeff Lemire: I agree this sort of poses the final test for Old Man Logan. He will either slip back into letting the specter of his Wastelands future rule his life and affect everything he does, or he will once and for all let it go. Obviously I don’t want to spoil how things end up!

Marvel.com: We’ve seen Old Man Logan go back in time, and confront certain aspects of his past before, but what’s coming up sounds more intense, like it will challenge some of his core beliefs. Can you tell us a little about what will make this a particularly powerful experience for Logan?

Jeff Lemire: For me, a large part of writing OLD MAN LOGAN has involved taking old Wolverine tropes and stories and then seeing those again but through the lens of Old Man Logan instead, with the different perspective he brings. The other big part of the series has had to do with the “man out of time” aspect of Logan struggling with what may or may not be his apocalyptic future. So this story really involved taking both of those things and combining them into one last big story that brings everything I have done in the series full circle.

Marvel.com: This arc will bring your run on OLD MAN LOGAN run to a close. What have you enjoyed about writing it?

Jeff Lemire: I did enjoy writing the character. I honestly don’t think I would have had much interest in writing the [classic] Wolverine, but the Old Man Logan character has a different perspective that I really enjoyed mining for story. I particularly enjoyed exploring his family in the Wastelands and expanding that story and those characters, while trying to honor what [Old Man Logan creators] Mark Millar and Steve McNiven did. And of course, I enjoyed re-teaming with [artists] Andrea Sorrentino and Marcelo Maiolo and hope to do it again soon.

Marvel.com: Do you have any hopes for what we might see in Old Man Logan in the future?

Jeff Lemire: Once I leave a character or a title, I tend to let it go. I spend a lot of time thinking about the characters as I write them, so afterwards I sort of move on. I know others will find plenty more great stories to tell with this character though.

Marvel.com: Would you like to tease anything else?

Jeff Lemire: It was unfortunate that Andrea couldn’t join me on this last arc but I enjoy working with Eric Nguyen. I have good luck working with artists named Nguyen. Very exciting to see Eric bring his unique style to all these different eras of Wolverine’s past.

“Past Lives” by Jeff Lemire and Eric Nguyen starts the end of an era for OLD MAN LOGAN with issue #21, available in April!

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Old Man Logan: Beyond the Wasteland

Artist Andrea Sorrentino delivers tomorrow’s Wolverine today!

Artist Andrea Sorrentino and writer Jeff Lemire keep finding new problems to throw at the would-be Wolverine from the future currently trapped in our time.

The latest arc, which kicked off in OLD MAN LOGAN #16 and continues on February 1 in issue #17, not only pits the hero against the Brood in space, but also flashes back to his home of Wasteland where an incredibly powerful villain makes their presence felt.

Though they’ve collaborated on nearly every issue of the current series, Sorrentino actually pre-dates Lemire on the character as he drew the Brian Michael Bendis-penned five issue Secret Warslimited series from 2015. After spending all that time together, he’s come to understand this alternate reality Logan better than many and continues to do so month in and month out.

We talked with Sorrentino about his continuing relationships with both Old Man Logan and Lemire, plus splitting time between space and Wasteland, each of which offer their own unique threats.

Marvel.com: With this current arc, Old Man Logan will split time between space and the Wastelands. Do you enjoy mixing up locations like that within a single story?

Andrea Sorrentino: [We have done] this for every OLD MAN LOGAN arc I’ve worked on, splitting between present and memories of the future/past of Logan. I think it was a great way to show how Logan related with this new Marvel Universe he’s in, but at the same time exploring some corners of his past that the readers didn’t know about yet. The day of the villains uprising, his first meeting with Maureen, his research for a safe place outside the Wastelands, and his homecoming to Nevada.

With this new arc, things are a bit more mixed-up in a different way. Present and past blend into each other in a way that won’t be exactly clear from the beginning and that will lead to some very crazy things in the last issue.

And it was very interesting to work on it because it gave me the chance to work with different locations and different moods and feelings. I like to have the chance to try new challenges and this long run on OLD MAN LOGAN gave me for sure the possibility to experiment a lot.

Marvel.com: The space section will also feature Logan taking on the Brood. How is it putting your own spin on one of the most dangerous alien races in the Marvel U?

Andrea Sorrentino: The Aliens saga is one of my favorite movie sagas ever. And “Alien” is probably the first horror movie I ever saw when I was a kid, so you can imagine the imprint it had on my vision of horror stories. And Jeff wrote [this story] so well that I couldn’t do less than my best to try to keep his level with my art.

So it was challenging, but also very stimulating. And generally, the more depressive, lonely, moody, and enraged the situations are, the better my art fits, so I’ve got to thank Jeff because he gave me the chance to take a crack at [the Brood].

Marvel.com: Looking at some of the samples, you do a lot with the page whether it be the smaller, square spotlight panels or spreads with lots and lots of rectangular panels during a fight scene. Are those elements that are in the script, something you come up with or a combination of the two?

Andrea Sorrentino: Yes, I’m used to doing that, especially when it comes to a double spread or frantic action scenes. Generally, it’s something I do to give the scene a specific pace or to try to drive the eye of the reader in some direction to better follow the action. I think it’s not something you can really write in a script, because it’s very personal to the vision that the artist has on the sequence he’s drawing.

So it may happen that I turn a four-panel double spread into a 32-panel one, or that I change a few things in a page to better fit my visual idea for the scene.

And I’m so lucky that Jeff loves when I do it! So I’m just taking all the freedom that I can, when I can.

Marvel.com: What can you tell us about the threats Logan faces in the Wastelands? Word is that they’re some of the biggest he’s ever faced in that dangerous place.

Andrea Sorrentino: I just teased my followers on Twitter that this arc will show a villain so menacing that they will see Doom and Ultron kneel to him. And it’s a brand new villain, so I’m really, really curious for the reaction the readers will have to him!

Marvel.com: You’ve been working on this version of Logan for over a year now. Do you feel like your understanding of him as a character has changed in that time?

Andrea Sorrentino: Almost two years actually, and yes, usually the more you work on a character, the more you understand about him/her. Also, all the arcs that Jeff has written for me on OLD MAN LOGAN are very heavy on the characterization to the point that, through the captions, you can really feel the weight of the tragedies Logan passed though.

And I think the more I’ve delved into this, the more I’ve tried to give him, through facial expressions and body language, a look of a tired, beaten, but still hopeful man.

Marvel.com: You’ve worked with Jeff even longer. How would you say your collaborative relationship has evolved in that time?

Andrea Sorrentino: Jeff is an incredible and talented writer, an amazing artist and a beautiful person. I love to work with him, but I think the key in our work relationship is that we genuinely love each other’s work and we’re open to mix and blend our ideas in a way that gives, as a result, a product that picks the best from both our point of view and makes is unique.

Andrea Sorrentino and Jeff Lemire continue to put their protagonist through his paces in OLD MAN LOGAN #17 on February 1!

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X-Men '92: Here Ride the Horsemen

Chad Bowers and Chris Sims give their take on the servants of Apocalypse!

The end has come. Apocalypse has arrived and Death rides with him. And Pestilence, War, and Famine, too.

Despite X-MEN ’92 writers Chris Sims and Chad Bowers preparing to close the book with December 28’s issue #10—and possibly take all of mutantkind down in the process—they took the time to talk to us about Apocalypse’s favorite tools, the Horsemen, and point out some of their favorites of all-time. Besides their own, of course.

“Every time they show, it’s a big deal,” Bowers argues. “It should be a big deal.

“I think, in a lot of ways, what’s most terrifying about the Horsemen is they’re people, but they are really concepts,” he continues, asserting their draw. “It’s hard to fight against a concept. Even if you beat the Horsemen, the power is just going to go to somebody else.”

“There’s always going to be a next one,” Sims agrees. “And the next one might be someone you know; it might be a horror movie monster. You don’t know.”

Archangel“I gotta say, Walt Simonson, good at drawing,” Sims states.

“I love it,” Bowers enthuses. “I like Angel a lot as Death especially. He’s like the first X-Man to have a real lasting change.”

“I absolutely prefer him to Angel, as Archangel,” Sims concurs. “It’s really hard to empathize with Angel’s problems because he’s a rich beautiful man who has beautiful bird wings.”

“So it makes perfect sense, when he loses them, that he gets super depressed,” Bowers continues.

“It’s metal, in a literal and metaphorical sense,” Sims jokes. “It’s the one ‘aww, it’s extreme now’ reboot of a character that everyone agrees is good.”

Colossus“That’s their friend, this giant gentle artist who can turn his body into a battering ram,” Bowers points out. “And then suddenly he’s trying to kill [them]. That’s terrifying.”

Wolverine“He seems like a no-brainer,” Chad admits.

“With Wolverine it works in a way; with him there’s always this aspect that’s been building for 20 years at that point,” Sims elaborates. “That Wolverine is just constantly holding back so he doesn’t flip out and stab everybody. Apocalypse takes Wolverine and—all the hard work he’s done to control himself [Apocalypse] just pops the seal off, hands Wolverine a sword, and says, ‘Alright, you are going to kill everyone.’”

Gambit“He’s a real weird choice,” Sims confesses. “Of all the things that Gambit is, seeing him as the embodiment of Death—it makes sense with his powers because everything he touches becomes a bomb. So from there, that makes sense. But in term of character, it’s something I never would’ve expected.”

“He’s Death, but he’s not Death, you know?” agrees Bowers. “Like that’s not who Gambit is.”

“Which maybe makes it a really solid idea,” Sims reflects.

Psylocke“That makes total sense,” states Sims.

Bowers concurs. “Yeah, that’s a good one.”

“What’s scarier than a Death that can read your mind and then kill you with a sword?” points out Sims.

The ’92 Horsemen“[It’s] every corner of the X-Men Universe, tied together,” Bowers explains. “You’ve got a representative of the human interests in [Senator] Kelly, you’ve got a representative from the anti-mutant militaristic Sentinel interest with Bastion, the idealist in Exodus, and then you’ve got Mystique as the mutant that kind of gave up and became a weapon or a tool.”

“If you were going to do a big Apocalypse story in 1996—you know, like they did—who would be the guys that you’d want them to pick for that,” continues Sims. “It’s like Bastion and Exodus. In the 90’s all of them looked like they were going to be the next big villains.”

“These are guy who anchored their own events,” Bowers contends. “If the X-Men had a tough time beating these guys by themselves, what happens when they team up?”

Saddle up with Chad Bowers, Chris Sims, and Alti Firmasyah one last time for X-MEN ’92 #10 on December 28!